Skirted Heifer misses on veggie quinoa patty

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Even meat eaters crave lighter veggie meals at times. To that end, we hit one of the Springs’ best meat-centric eateries, the Indy Best Of’s top burger joint in 2017, and I go straight for the Veg Out ($7.75). Its veggie quinoa patty bears no resemblance to a burger patty — way crumbly and needing salt. Grilled mushrooms, caramelized onions and avocado help bolster bites. It sticks to the ribs, but I’m not wowed, even when I swap a garlic focaccia bun in for the now-standard wheat roll.

We end up trying that soft wheat bun with a Hangover ($8.25), a beef burger loaded with a fried egg, bacon, cream cheese, and bloody mary sauce. The yolk oozes perfectly, and the cream cheese gets spread thin enough that it adds creaminess without overwhelming the burger. Only downside: We’re not asked to what doneness we want the local grass-fed beef cooked. Sweet potato fries ($2.75) are cooked tender to fill in the corners on a respectable lunch.